Copy-holder.



P. M. FISKE & E. E. HARRISON.

COPY HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 30. 1914.

Patented Sept. 12, 1916.

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P. M. FISKE 81 E. E. HARRISON.

' COPY HOLDER.

APPLICATION men JAN. 30. 1914.

1 1 97,809; Patented Sept. 12, 1916.

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UNITED STATES PATENT @FFTQE.

PROCTOR M. FISKE, OF CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA, AND EDWARD EVERETT HARRISON, OF

EVANSTON,

ILLINOIS.

COPY-HOLDER.

Application filed January 30,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, Pnooron M. FISKE, a citizen of the United States, residing-at Cedar Rapids, in the county of Linn and State of Iowa, and EDWARD EVERETT HAR- RISON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Evanston, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Copyl lolders, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an improvement in copy holders.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a holder which will effectually support a book or a plurality of loose sheets and provide means for indicating the line to be copied, which means may be conveniently adjusted to the different lines and quickly reset after the page has been copied.

A further object of the invention is to provide a structure for indicating the line to be copied which may be used in connection with a support for the sheets which are being copied but which at the same time may be readily removed from the support and inserted between the pages of a book, the line indicating means operating in the same man ner when applied to a book as whenmounted upon a supporting stand or easel.

Another object ofthe invention is to provide a structure in which the operating means for the line indicator will be effectually housed and disposed. at a point where the insertion and removal of the pages to be copied will not in any way disturb said mechanism.

Another object of the invention is to provide a line indicator, which normally will lie straight across the sheet but which may be readily adjusted to assume a position diagonally of the sheet whereby the lines to be copied may be accurately indicated regardless of their angle with respect to the bottom of the sheet.

Another object of the invention is to provide a copy holder or easel designed to support the line indicating means whereby said' means may be adjusted in order to accommodate sheets which vary in length. i

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side eleva l tion, Fig. 2 is a front elevation, Fig. 3 a per- 9 spective view of the line indicating mecha-& nism removed from the supportlng easel Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 12, 1916. 1914. Seria1 No.815,544.

whereby it may be used directly on a book without the stand or easel, Fig. 4 a detail vlew of the actuating means for theline indicating bar, Fig. 5 a detail view illustrating themanner in which the indicating bar may be adjusted, and Fig. 6 a section on the line 66 of Fig. 5.

In the drawings 10 designates the easel which in the form illustrated in the drawing consists of a sheet 11 provided with an upturned edge 12 which constitutes a-rest for the book or sheets to be supported. The sheet adjacent its upper edge is provided with a plurality of ears 13 which are pressed out of the sheet in a direction opposite to that in which the edge 12 extends whereby the edge 12 will be disposed on one face of the sheet and the ears 13 on the other face of the-sheet. These ears form pintle lugs for an adjustable brace or strut 14 which preferably consists of two strands of wire coiled together throughout the greater portion of their length, their ends 15 being bent to eX- tend within apertures forming the lugs 13. A rack bar 16 which constitutes a latch is one of the lugs 13, the bar 16 engaging one of v the strands which constitute the strut whereby relative movement of the strut and plate 11 is, prevented. A ball 18 preferably formed of rubber is arranged on the termi nal of the strut, said ball constituting'a foot piece. A plurality of members 19 which are also preferably formed of rubber are mounted at the ends of the upturned edge 12, these members consisting of balls from which a section have been removed in order that they may embrace the lower portion of the sheet 11. By this construction it will be noted that an efficient supporting structure is provided which will be light and durable and which may be economically manufactured.

A retaining spring or clamp 20 is mounted on the upturned edge 12 said spring being bowed and extending over the lower portion of the plate 11 its tendency being to engage the plate at its center whereby to support the book or sheets which are positioned on the stand. A supporting plate 21 is slidably mounted on the rearface of the plate 11 being received within a guide way 22 which is arranged on the back of said plate and which consists of a transverse plate 23 secured to a plurality of spaced lugs 24. The sliding plate 21 is of substantially the same length as the plate 11 and arranged in said plate 11 in alinement with the plate 21 is an elongated slot 2st which receives a clamping bolt 25 the head of the bolt engaging the front face of the plate 11, there being a winged or knurled nut threaded on the bolt which may be advanced into contact with the sliding plate 21 whereby the plates 1 and 12 may be elfectually held against relative movement. Thus the sliding plate 21 may be conveniently adjusted to space its upper end from the upper edge of the plate 11. A supporting hood 26 is arranged on the upper terminal of the sliding bar This hood is provided with the right angle extension 27 which is riveted or otherwise secured to the plate 21 whereby the hood is disposed at right angles to the plate 21 and supported to overlie the front face of the plates 2-1 and 11. The plate which constitutes the hood is bent to form the curved housing 28 the ends of which are closed by the substantially semicircular plates 29, the plates 29 being secured to the housing by invardly directed lugs 30. These lugs are riveted or otherwise secured to the housing in order that they may form substantial bearings for a shaft 31 which passes longitudinally through the housing. This shaft is of a length to extend entirely across the plate 11 and on each end of the shaft is arranged a button by means of which the shaft may be rotated. Arranged on the shaft within the housing and at one end of the same is a drum 33 formed with a boss 34: through which a set screw passes by means of which the drum is locked to the shaft. Secured to this drum and disposed to be wound upon the same is a tape 35 the function of which will be hereinafter described. A barrel. or sleeve 36 is mounted on the shaft 31 within the housing and formed integral with this barrel are a plurality of drums 37 and 38, the barrel intermediate the drums being secured to the shaft 31 by means of a set screw. The drum 38 is spaced from the adjacent end 29 of the housing to permit of the in sertion of a spring washer 39. This washer consists of a concavo convex plate formed of resilient material and cut radially to provide a series of resilient fingers. The hub portion of the disk which is provided with a suitable aperture to receive the shaft 31 contacts with the adjacent end wall 29 0f the housing while the resilient fingers 40 of the disks contact with the drum 38. This disk provides a. tension device for the shaft 31 whereby the shaft may only be rotated by positively operating the same either by means of the buttons 32 or other means which will be hereinafter described. A tape 41 is secured to the drum 38 and is adapted to be wound thereon as the shaft is rotated. A cord or chain 42 is secured to the central disk 37, this cord passing through an opening 43 arranged in the top of the housing whereby its terminal on which a suitable button 4:4: is arranged may hang at the rear of the stand. It will be noted that the shaft may be rotated against the tension of the spring washer 39 either by drawing the chain or cord 12 from the casing or by directly actuating the same through the but tons 32. The tapes 35 and %1 which are of the same length are secured to a short bar to. the tapes being fastened to bails 4:6 which are carried at the terminals of the bar. The short bar is provided with a central aperture and adjustably mounted on this bar is the indicator bar 47. is secured to the short bar 15 by a bolt L8 which passes through both bars the head of the bolt engaging the short bar and a knurled nut l9 which is threaded on the bolt engaging the indicator bar. It will be noted by this construction that the bars may rotate with respect to each other and that while the indicator bar may normally lie parallel with the upturned edge 12 of the plate 11 it will be adjusted to assume any angle with respect to said edge. Thus in copying matter which is written or printed upon a sheet in diagonal or slanting lines the indicator bar while freely movable vertically of the supporting plate 11 may at the same time accommodate itself to the slant of the lines.

In practice the sheets to be copied are placed upon the stand or easel and maintained in contact therewith by means of the spring 20 it being understood that should the length of the page exceed the length of the supporting plate the sliding plate 21 may be adjusted and set at its adjusted position to properly accommodate the page. Therefore the structure while capable of being folded to occupy a comparatively small space may be adjusted to accommodate sheets which are of a length greatly in excess of that of the supporting plate 11. lVhen the sheets have been placed upon the plate 11, it being understood that the indicater bar 47 has been raised to a point adjacent the housing 28, the shaft is rotated by means of the knobs 32 to bring the bar 47 into alinement with the first line to be written. If this line should be substantially parallel with the lower edge of the plate the indicator bar may also be maintained parallel with said edge. If on the other hand the line to be written slants the bar may be adjusted at the necessary angle with respect to said edge. It will be understood that while the indicator bar assumes any angle with respect to the lower edge of the plate the short bar 45 remains at all times parallel with the bottom edge of the plate and the supporting tapes 35 and 41 parallel with the side edges of the plate. After the first line has been copied the buttons 32 are again manipulated to feed the indicator bar The indicator bar l7 4 downwardly one space to bring the bar in proper position with respect to the next line. The entire page is copied in this manner and when the copying of one page is completed and the bar has assumed a position adjacent the upturned edge 12 the cord 42 is withdrawn from the housing rotating the shaft 31 in a direction the reverse of that which is previously rotated by means of the buttons whereby to wind the tapes 35 and 4-1 on their respective drums, it being understood that as the cord or chain 42 unwinds the tapes wind. Attention is particularly directed to the fact that during the actuation of the shaft in either direction sufficient pressure must be exerted to overcome the normal tendency of the spring 39 to exert a binding action between the drum 38 and the housing.

The many advantages of a construction of this character will be clearly apparent as it will be seen that the device forms an effectual support for the sheets which are copied and that it provides a. line indicator conveniently operable vertically of the sheet without the use of complicated pawl and ratchet mechanisms and without weights or counter balances. It will be noted also that the indicator may be adjusted to any point throughout the entire length of the page which is supported which is not possible with a ratchet mechanism. Therefore it is not necessary to adjust the sheet which is being copied other than to place it where the indicator bar may move across its face.

Vhile the device is primarily intended for use as a. copy holder and line indicator it will be clearly apparent that the plate 21 may be removed from the holder or easel 10 as shown in Fig. 3 and used to indicate the lines of a ledger page or other book. lVhen used in this connection the plate 21 is inserted between the leaves of the book with the housing overlying the page. The indicator bar is thereby disposed on the page in the same manner as when the device is used with the holder and may be manipulated in the same manner and when used as shown in Fig. 1, particular attention is directed that while the device may be readily changed from a combined copy holder and line indicator to a book line indicator in which the book itself supports the indicating apparatus the indicating mechanism need not be disassembled. The indicator bar 47 may be formed of any suitable material it having been found in practice that a celluloid or amber bar provides an eiiicient indicator.

What we claim is:

1. A line indicator for copy holders including a supporting stand, a plate supported for sliding movement by said stand, a housing carried by the plate, a shaft r0- tatably supported by the housing, a plurality of drums mounted on said shaft and arranged within the housing, spring means contacting with the housing and with one of said drums for normally preventing rotation of the shaft, means for actuating one of the drums to rotate the shaft in one direction, tapes secured to each of the other drums, a short bar connected to the terminals of said tapes remote from the drums, and an indicator bar rotatably mounted on said short bar.

2. A line indicator for copy holders including a member supported for vertical movement, a shaft carried by said member, said shaft being capable of rotation, means for normally supporting the shaft against rotation, means for rotating the shaft in either direction, a plurality of tapes secured to the shaft, a bar connecting said tapes, an indicator bar rotatably mounted on the first mentioned bar, and means for locking the bars against relative movement.

7 In testimony whereof, we aflix' our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

PROCTOR M. FISKE. E. EVERETT HARRISON. iVitnesses to Fisks signature:

AGNES L. MGKINNON, H. R. J ONES. Witnesses to Harrisons signature:

H. M. WALKER, C. J. LUTHER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

